The Empire State Building

When I went to New York in June I visited lots of places, including the Empire State Building. This skyscraper is the tallest in New York, and the third tallest in the USA, over a quarter of a mile high. On the 86th floor is the observatory deck, it gives stunning views of Manhattan, and you can even see the Statue of Liberty in the Bay.

The building began construction in 1930, and was finished a year later. William Lamb was the architect, and he based the Empire State Building on the shape of a pencil. It is easy to see this by the image above, how the top of the building gradually narrows to a point.

The building is art deco inspired, a popular art movement at the time it was built. Strong perpendicular lines, mathmatical geometric shapes, and symmetry are typical of the art deco style.

Parc Guell

Another one of Gaudi’s creations, Parc Guell was originally meant to be a residential area but only two houses were built and no one wanted to buy them. Luckily for us it was transformed into beautiful gardens open to the public. The whole park oozes Gaudi, from the colourful mosaics to the smooth curves of the architecture. It is on the side of a very large hill so there are lots of steps and hills to walk up, which adds to its beauty, and has amazing views of Barcelona.

Below is the sea serpent bench. It is covered in mosaic and its very long. The bench is situated on the main terrace and is great for taking photos from.

La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona is full of amazing architecture, mostly thanks to the late great Antoni Gaudi. His work can be found throughout the city, and are instantly recognisable. What he and Barcelona are most famous for though, is the Sagrada Familia, a church that began construction on 19 March 1882, and is still unfinished today. The church was one of Gaudi’s last buildings before he died.

The building is huge, and there has been so much effort and detail gone into the workmanship that there is no wonder it hasn’t been completed yet. There are a total of 18 towers, 2 connected by a bridge and very steep spiral staircases! There are three facades, the Nativity facade, Passion facade, and the Glory facade which is still incomplete. Each one has its own style, the Nativity facade is extremely detailed, depicting the birth of Jesus. This was the first facade to be built whilst Gaudi was alive. The Passion facade is on the opposite side to the Nativity facade, and is dedicated to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Glory facade faces the south-east and is the main facade.

The interior is just as awe-inspiring and impressive as the exterior. There are huge columns that appear to grow into the ceiling. Gaudi wanted the columns to look like trees, and that exactly what they made me think of when I first saw them. The stain glass windows look modern and fit right in with the architecture.

The building is already a landmark for Barcelona, even Spain, and it is yet to be completed. After seeing this and some of his other work when I was in Barcelona, he became one of my favourite architects. Pictures don’t do it justice, and I highly recommend visiting Barcelona just to see his architecture!

Dubai - Excessive and Fabulous!

My dad lives in Dubai, so I am lucky enough to go and have a free place to stay! It is one of a kind, everything is extravagant, and shiny and brand new.

Some of you may know about the Burj Dubai, a skyscraper under construction at the moment. It is in fact the tallest building in the world, rising high into the sky at a colossal 818m. I had the pleasure of seeing it last year and it towers above the other "tiny" skyscrapers. I took the very top picture on my phone which is why its not the best quality, but you can tell from the skyscrapers in the foreground the sheer scale of it. The picture above is a recent image, as you can tell its almost finished.
When it is complete, the Burj will be a residential building, with luxury apartments and brilliant views. The building is part of a huge project to create downtown Burj Dubai, complete with shopping mall, more residential buildings, and the Armani hotel. Excessive really can't describe this project!

Another landmark Dubai is known for is the Burj Al Arab. This is a luxury hotel designed to look like a sail on the sea. Its contemporary, and beautiful in its own way. The fact that it is on its own little island in the sea makes it even more striking.

Other interesting projects under construction and completed are the Palm (two of them), and the World. All these islands have limited access. The World requires a boat to get to each island. I read that there are financial worries over it due to the recession, and clients have been backing out, so work on the World has ground to a halt.

Dubai is a land of excess and money. I once read someone call it the Vegas of the Middle East, and I agree! There isn't anywhere else like it (except for perhaps Vegas), and I find it amazing how fast they put up buildings, expecially compared to the UK when it takes a year here to do up a normal sized house!